Prayers and Meditations — §203

Arabic source with Shoghi Effendi’s authorized English translation. Paragraph 203 of 858.

Source (Arabic)

سُبْحانَكَ يا إِلهِي أَسْئَلُكَ بِرَوائِحِ قَمِيصِ فَضْلِكَ الَّتِيْ تَضَوَّعَتْ فِي الإِمْكانِ بِأَمْرِكَ وَإِرادَتِكَ وَبِشَمْسِ مَشِيَّتِكَ الَّتِيْ أَضاءَتْ مِنْ أُفُقِ الفَضْلِ بِقُدْرَتِكَ وَسُلْطانِكَ بِأَنْ تَجْعَلَ قَلْبِي مُقَدَّسًا مِنَ الظُّنُونِ وَالأَوهامِ لأُقْبِلَ بِكُلِّي إِلَيْكَ يا رَبَّ الأَنامِ، يا إِلهِي إِنِّي

Shoghi Effendi Translation

Lauded be Thy name, O my God! I entreat Thee by the fragrances of the Raiment of Thy grace which at Thy bidding and in conformity with Thy desire were diffused throughout the entire creation, and by the Daystar of Thy will that hath shone brightly, through the power of Thy might and of Thy sovereignty, above the horizon of Thy mercy, to blot out from my heart all idle fancies and vain imaginings, that with all my affections I may turn unto Thee, O Thou Lord of all mankind!

Translation Notes

سُبْحانَكَ

s-b-ḥ → “Lauded be Thy name”

literal: glorified; the All-Praised; exalted; dawn; daybreak; morning

يا

y-ʾ → “O”

literal: O; or

إِلهِي

ʾ-l-h → “my God”

literal: God; Allah; deity; Divinity; divine nature; godhood

أَسْئَلُكَ

s-ʾ-l → “I entreat Thee” Distinctive

literal: ask; ask/request; ask/beseech

بِرَوائِحِ

r-w-ḥ → “by the fragrances”

literal: narration; tradition; fragrance; to grow; to spring forth; to sprout

قَمِيصِ

q-m-ṣ → “of the Raiment”

literal: garment; shirt; tunic

فَضْلِكَ

f-ḍ-l → “of Thy grace”

literal: grace; bounty; generosity; excellence

الَّتِيْ

ʾ-l-l → “which”

literal: who; which/that; which

تَضَوَّعَتْ

ḍ-w-ʿ → “were diffused”

literal: emitting fragrance; diffusing; exuding

فِي

f-y → “in”

literal: in; in-it; in it

الإِمْكانِ

m-k-n → “the entire creation”

literal: establishment; confirmation; empowerment; firm settlement; place; possibility; being (negated as ‘non-being’)

بِأَمْرِكَ

ʾ-m-r → “at Thy bidding” Distinctive

literal: command; cause; matter; affair; Cause (of God); to command; to order

وَإِرادَتِكَ

r-w-d → “desire” Distinctive

literal: to intend; to will; to desire

وَبِشَمْسِ

sh-m-s → “and by”

literal: sun; suns; the sun

مَشِيَّتِكَ

sh-y-ʾ → “Daystar of Thy will”

literal: thing; something

أَضاءَتْ

ḍ-w-ʾ → “shineth” Distinctive

literal: to shine; to be illuminated; to light up

مِنْ

m-n

literal: from; out of; than (preposition and particle)

أُفُقِ

ʾ-f-q → “above the horizon”

literal: horizon; sphere; realm; quarter

بِقُدْرَتِكَ

q-d-r → “power”

literal: power; might; decree; measure; worth

وَسُلْطانِكَ

s-l-ṭ → “and of Thy sovereignty”

literal: dominion; authority; power; sovereignty; control

بِأَنْ

ʾ-n-n → “that”

literal: that; those; he; she; it

تَجْعَلَ

literal: to make; to cause; to render; to appoint

قَلْبِي

q-l-b → “from my heart”

literal: heart; to turn; to overturn

مُقَدَّسًا

literal: holy, sacred, sanctified

الظُّنُونِ

ẓ-n-n → “all idle fancies”

literal: highest; most high; supreme

وَالأَوهامِ

w-h-m → “and vain imaginings”

literal: to imagine, suppose; fancy, idle imagination

لأُقْبِلَ

q-b-l → “turn unto Thee” Distinctive

literal: group; company; tribe; sort; kind

بِكُلِّي

k-l-l → “with all my affections” Distinctive

literal: all; every; whole; entirety; entire; completely

إِلَيْكَ

literal: one; a single

رَبَّ

r-b-b → “Lord”

literal: by, with, through (preposition)

الأَنامِ،

ʾ-n-m → “the peoples of the”

literal: people; mankind; human beings

إِنِّي

ʾ-n-n → “that” Distinctive

literal: that; those; he; she; it

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